One-operation hem and length, garment marker



April 30, 1957 B.. WEISS 2,790,239

ONE-OPERATION HEM AND LENGTH; GARMENT MARKER Filed July 9, 195: z She ets-Sheet 1 Snnentor BENJAMIN WEISS (Ittomeg B. WEISS ONE-OPERATION HEM AND LENGTH, GARMENT MARKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9. 1952 3nventor' BCNJAMIN WEISS (Ittorneg ONE-OPERATION HEM AND LENGTH, GARMENT MARKER Benjamin Weiss, New York, N. Y.

Application July 9, 1952, Serial No. 297,927

9 Claims. (Cl. 33-9) This invention relates to a one-operation hem and length, garment marker.

An object of this invention is to provide a highly improves device of the character descrbied, having means to indicate on a skirted garment, the place where the hem is to be folded up, and also having means to indicate the place where the skirted garment is to be cut.

' Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, comprising a base, a casing mounted on the base provided with a self straightening steel strip spirally wound within the casing so that the strip may be pulled out, and a second self strengthening steel strip disposed in front of the first strip and attached at its inner end to said first strip, and the outer ends of said strips being unattached whereby the lower end of a skirt or like garment may be inserted between the free outer end portions of the steel strips, one of said strips having a scale marked thereon to measure the height of a skirt above a floor, and the width of the hem of the skirt.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, indicating means comprising a stationary marker and an adjustable marker on one of said steel strips.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a loop surrounding both steel strips to draw them together, and a second loop surrounding one of the steel strips and movable toward the first loop to separate the steel strips so that the lower end of a skirt can be placed between the free ends of said strips.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, in which one ofth'e steel strips has a chalk holder at its outer end and a member is slidably mounted on the steel strip and adjustable thereon, means being provided to fix said slidably mounted member in adjusted position, and said slidably mounted member carrying a second chalk marker to indicate the point at which the skirt or garment is to be out.

Yet a further object of this invention is to pnovide a one-operation hem and length garment marker comprising a pair of flexible steel strips adapted to receive a skirt or other garment between them, and said strips being provided with magnets so that they may be attracted together to clamp the strips at opposite sides of the skirt, means being provided at one of the strips to mark the skirt at desired point.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the marking means comprises a hulb containing chalk powder.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described comprising a pair of steel strips, one of said strips being marked with a scale to measure the height of a skirt from the floor and said strip carrying a stapler, while the other strip carries an anvil so that a staple may be driven through the skirt interposed between the two steel strips and against said Inited States Patch-t 2,790,239 Patented Apr. 30, 1957 2 anvil. The anvil is so arranged, furthermore, that the staples may be easily removed.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a garment length and hem indicator comprising a base adapted to be supported on a horizontal surface, rear and front members extending upwardly from the base, the front member comprising a flexible, self strengthening strip, said members being fixed together within the base, and the upper free ends of said members being unattached, and a member being slidably mounted on said members and serving to hold said front member against movement away from said rear member, below said slidably mounted member, while permitting the portion of the front member above said slidably mounted member to be flexed away from the rear member so that the lower end of a garment may be interposed between the upper ends of said rear and front members with one of said members being marked with a scale for measuring heights above the surface on which the base is mounted, means being furthermore provided on the front member for indicating the height of a point on the garment above the floor where the hem is to be turned up, and means being further slidably mountedon the front member to indicate the width of the hem from the point where it is to be turned to the point where the hem is to be cut.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable device of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufaoture, easy to manipulate, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations .of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in'the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is SlL'OWll various illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view in reduced scale of a device embodying the invention and showing the same in position for use for marking the hem and length of the garment at one time;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing how the two steel tapes are attached together;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional View taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a partial side elevational view of the device illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 11 is a rear elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. '10;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10; v

Fig. 13 is ahorizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 10 and illustrating another modification;

Fig. 15 is a front elevational view of the structure taken on the shown in Fig. 14; a

Fig. 16 is a view. similar to Fig. 14 and illustrating still another modification; and

Fig. 17 is a vertical crosssectional view taken on the line 1717 of Fig. 16.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a measuring device embodying the invention. The same comprises a base 11 which may taper upwardly and is formed at its upper end with a screw threaded opening 12. Mounted on the base is a U-shaped bracket 13 comprising a bottom wall or web 14 and upwardly extending side walls or flanges 15. The bottom wall 14 has a central through-opening through which extends a screw 16 for attaching the bracket 13 to the base.

Mounted on the bracket 13 andbetween flanges 15 thereof, is a casing 17. The casing .17 has side walls 18, a bottom semicircular wall '19, end walls 2%, and a top wall 21. The top wall 21 is formed adjacent one of the end walls 18 with a slot 22. Extending through the slot 22 is a steel strip 23. The steel strip may be curved transversely and is constructed like a usual flexible self straightening steel strip. The strip 23 is spirally wound within the casing 17 so that the strip may be pulled out of the casing or pushed back into the casing, at will.

Attached to the steel strip 23 as by means of rivets 24, is a flexible self straightening steel strip 25 coextensive with the outer end length of the strip 23. The strip 25 is likewise transversely curved and is marked with a measuring scale 26. Its upper end is substantially coextensive with the upper end of the steel strip 23. The strip 25 may be about twenty inches in length for practical purposes, although it may be longer or shorter if desired.

The strip 23 and strip 25 constitute two superimposed strips of flexible self straightening steel which may be wound spirally together in the casing when pushed into said casing.

Attached to the upper end of the steel strip 25 is a holder 27 for a piece of marking chalk 28. The holder 27 comprises a portion 29 running lengthwise with the strip and riveted thereto by rivets 30. Extending at right angles to portion 29 is a tubular portion 31 in which the piece of marker chalk or crayon is inserted. The chalk 28 extends toward the strip 23. Thus, the lower end of a skirt S or other garment inserted between the strips 23 and 25 may be marked by means of the chalk 28. The mark 32 made with the chalk 28 is the bottom of the skirt where the hem is turned up.

Means is provided to simultaneously make a mark 33 on the skirt to indicate the hem line, that is the line on which the skirt is cut so that the portion 34 of the skirt between the lines 32, 33 may constitute a hem which is folded up about the line 32 and then stitched to the inside of the skirt. To this end there is slidably mounted on strip 25 an adjustable hem marker 44). The marker or slider 44; comprises a sleeve 41 slidably mounted on the strip 25. The sleeve 41 comprises an inner wall 42 and an outer wall 43.

Fixed to the wall 43 and extending outwardly therefrom, is a screw 44. Said wall 43 is furthermore formed with a pair of through-openings 45 located on opposite sides of the screw 44. Screwed onto the screw 44 is a combination handle and nut 46. Received on the screw 44 and disposed between the handle 46 and the wall 43 of. sleeve 41 is a plate 47 provided with a pair of pins 48 passing through suitable openings in the wall 43.

It will now be understood that when the handle 46 is turned in one direction to loosen the same on the screw 44, then the marker 40 may be moved up and down. However, when the handle or nut 46 is turned in the pposite direction, it presses the plate 43 and hence the pins 48 against the plate to tighten the marker on the strip.

Extending from the wall 42 of sleeve 41 and atright angles thereto, is a sleeve. 50. in which is inserted a piece of marking chalk or crayon 51. Sleeve 50 is parallel 4 to sleeve 31, and both extend toward the tape 23. The pieces of chalk 51 and 28 are also parallel to one another. It will now be understood that the height of the hem line marker may be adjusted and retained in adjusted position. The piece of chalk 51 will make the mark 33 on the skirt S. Of course, the wearer would have to keep turning or the device would have to be moved around the skirt to mark it all around.

Means is provided to move the two strips 23 and 25 toward each other. To this end there is provided a loop 55 which surrounds the two strips. When the loop 55 is moved upwardly, the two ends of the strip move together so that the strip 25 with its chalk markers, is moved against the skirt. When it is desired to move the strip 25 away from the strip 23, a second loop 56 which surrounds only the strip 25 and which is located above the strip 23, is moved downwardly to cause the separation.

The scale 26 on the strip 25 begins to measure from the upper end of the strip 25. The distance between top wall 21 and the bottom of the base being known (for example it could be four inches), said distance is added to the-measurement read on the strip 25 at the top wall 17. Thus, if the scale 26 at the top wall 17 reads eight inches, and if four inches is the height from the bottom of the base to the topwall 21, then the measurement at the chalk 2S is twelve inches above the floor level. The length of the hem is read directly on the scale 26 at the chalk marker 51.

There may also be attached to the base 11 a pin cushion 60 carrying pins 61 so that the pins may be inserted into the skirt in addition to or instead of marking the skirt with the chalk marker 51.

In Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 there is shown a device 10a embodying the invention and illustrating a modified construction. The device 1011 is similar to the device 10 with the exception that instead of the marker 27, there is substituted a stapler attached to the upper end of the strip 25. On the upper end of strip 23 is attached an anvil 71. The lower end of skirt S is received between the strips 23 and 25 and hence between the anvil '71 and the stapler head 70. The anvil 71 has grooves 73 and 74, one of them arranged to bend one leg of the staple inwardly, and the other leg outwardly. Thus driven staple 75 will have an inwardly bent leg 76 formed by the groove 73, and an outwardly bent leg 77 formed by the groove 74. With such arrangement, the staples may be more easily removed than if both legs were bent inwardly.

Slidable on the strip 25 is a sliding adjustable marker 79 similar to the marker 40 with the exception that the chalkholder 56 and the chalk 51 may be omitted. Instead a pin may be inserted at an index line on the slider. The slider 79 may have a portion projecting between the stapler head 70 and the tape.

In Figs. 14 and 15 there is shown a device 10b embodying the invention and illustrating yet another modified construction. In said figures the strips 23 and 25 have attached to their upper ends, and at their inner surfaces, pieces of permanent magnetic material indicated by numerals 84 and 85. The skirt S may be clamped between the magnets 84, 85, when the strip 25 is moved towards the strip 23. Pins P may be inserted at the open end of skirt S. A slider 87 slidably moved on strip 25 and clamped in adjusted position may be employed for indicating the places where to put the pins P to indicate the hem line. Slider 87 is similar to the slider 40 except that the chalk holder 50 and the chalk 51 may be omitted.

In Figs 16 and 17 there is shown a device 10c embodying the invention and illustrating still a further modified construction. have pieces of magnetic material 84, attached thereto asheretofore described. However, instead of using pins P, a bulb 90- may be attached to the strip 25, and the In the device 10c the strips 23 and 25 bulb 90 may contain powdered chalk so that when the bulb is squeezed, the chalk will pass through a narrow neck 91 held by the tape, against the skirt S. There is also mounted on the strip 25, a slider 95 similar to the slider 87 except that it has a smaller bulb 96 mounted on an ear 97 thereof for blowing the powdered chalk against the skirt to indicate the hem line. 7

It will now be understood that the strips 23 and 25 constitute front and rear members which extend upwardly from the base. The loop 25 is slidably mounted on these front and rear members and holds them together below said slidably mounted member while permitting the upper end of the strip 25 to be flexed forwardly when inserting the skirt therebetween. However, when the strip 25 is released, it tends to stretch out and is biased towards the rear member 23 for resiliently clamping or pressing against the skirt portion S so as to hold the skirt firmly in place, while the skirt is being marked either by chalk, pins, staples, or in any other desired manner. It will be noted that the front and rear members are attached together at the base or casing, but that their outer ends are free.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A garment and hem indicator comprising a base adapted to be supported on a horizontal surface, a rear member and supported by the base and extending up wardly, a front member extending upwardly and comprising a flexible strip disposed in front of the rear member, means to fix said members together, the upper end of said front member being free and unattached, a member slidably mounted on said front and rear members and serving to hold the front member against movement away from said rear member from said slidably mounted member down, and permitting the portion of the front member above said slidably mounted member to be flexed away from said rear member, so that the lower end of a garment may be interposed between the upper ends of said rear and front members, one of said members being marked with a scale for measuring height above the surface on which the base is mounted, means on the front member for indicating the height of a point on the garment above the floor where the hem is to be turned up, and means slidably mounted on said front member and being movable relative to the first indicating means to indicate the width of the hem from the point where it is to be turned up to the point where the hem is to be cut.

2. The combination of claim 1, said strip comprising spring steel and being transversely curved and self straightening, whereby the portion thereof above the member which is slidable on said rear and front members is biased toward the rear member to press the portion of the garment received between said rear and front members against said rear member to grip said garment.

3. The combination of claim 2, said means for indicating the height of the garment above the floor and the means for indicating the width of the hem comprising means for marking said height and said width on the garment.

4. The combination of claim 2, in combination with means on said front and rear members to staple a garment received between said front and rear members.

7. In a garment length and hem indicator, in combination, a casing, means to support said casing on a floor, a pair of flexible self straightening strips spirally wound together within said casing, means to attach said strips together within said casing, said strips being unattached at their free outer ends, said casing having an opening,

the free outer ends of said strips passing upwardly through said opening and being adapted to receive the lower end of a garment between them, one of said strips being marked with a measuring scale, means on one of said strips to indicate the height of a point on the garment above the floor, and means slidable on one of said strips to indicate the width of the hem.

8. The combination of claim 7, in combination with a member slidably mounted on both said strips for bolding them together, whereby said strips may be separated abovesaid slidably mounted member to receive a portion of a garment therebetween.

9. The combination of claim 8, and a loop slidably mounted on one of said strips and above said slidably mounted member whereby when said loop is moved toward said slidably mounted member it will cause separation of the free ends of said strips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nakashian et a1 Aug. 23, 1955 

